I’ve noticed that gluten free pancakes are popping up on the menus of lots of the breakfast restaurants that I like. I am a sucker for pancakes of any kind – and I’ve been impressed with how much the gluten free pancake offerings at many of these places have improved over the years. But as is the case with most pancakes, they’re even better when you make them at home. These Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes are a great place to start, whether you’re sticking to a gluten free diet or simply want to use up some of the gluten free flour blend that is sitting in your pantry.

Gluten free pancakes are a little bit different than regular wheat flour pancakes because they tend to spread more and rise up less than traditional pancakes do. When they’re bad, they can be thin and dense. These pancakes are neither of those things, though they will spread a bit on the griddle as they start to cook. They are light, airy and tender, not dense or heavy. They have a hint of tang from the buttermilk and are perfect for pairing with maple syrup because they have plenty of air bubbles throughout that will soak it up as you pour it on. The recipe is a good base for other flavors, and you could easily spice these up with cinnamon, nuts or even berries for variety.

I used a store bought gluten free flour blend for this batch of pancakes. The quality of storebought flour blends has greatly improved over the past few years and they making whipping up a batch of pancakes so easy. For pancakes, most brands are going to give you a good result. I’ve worked with Bob’s Red Mill, Cup 4 Cup and Trader Joe’s brands in this recipe, all with good success. Some brands will absorb the moisture from the buttermilk at different rates, however, so if you find that your pancake batter is much too thin, simply add in an extra two tablespons or so of your flour mix. If you find that the batter is too thick, add in two tablespoons of additional buttermilk.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk and vegetable oil. Pour into dry ingredients and whisk until batter is smooth and very well blended. Allow batter to sit for 2-3 minutes.
Heat up a nonstick pan or griddle over high heat. The griddle is hot enough when you can sprinkle water on the surface and the droplets will skitter around. If they evaporate immediately, it is slightly too hot.
Drop the batter in 1/4 cups, allowing some room between the pancakes to spread. Cook for 1-2 minutes on a side, until the bottom is golden brown, then flip over and cook on the second side until it is also golden, about 1 minute.
Serve immediately, with maple syrup.